by Lynn Faye
She shook her head. “I came back a few days ago. I wanted to surprise her, and boy did I get a surprise when I saw the news. It was weird, I passed the accident on the day it happened.” She choked back tears.
Ethan rested a hand on her shoulder. “I’m glad you’re here. She needs a friend.”
“Oh God, Ethan, what happened?”
“I want to know that too.”
Camila twisted around to look into his eyes. “How did you two… is it because of the hearing?”
“You know about that?”
“Yes, we exchange emails twice per week. But Ethan, you marrying her, it’s been a long time coming. You wouldn’t do it if you didn’t still love her.”
“When did I ever love her?”
“It’s me you’re talking to, remember? I know how you felt. I know you were devastated when she married your brother.”
Raking his hand through his hair, Ethan turned away, walking to the little window overlooking the hospital grounds. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Camila joined him. “Cut the crap, Ethan. Everyone knew you were in love with her, even Andrew knew it.”
Moving away from the window and Camila, he walked the short distance to the other end of the room. “That’s ridiculous.”
“You can deny it all you want, but look at you. You can’t even stand still. When last have you slept? Have you eaten in the last few days?”
Ethan hadn’t considered to those questions. He had not eaten anything but half the sandwich Emily brought him the day before. He’d downed several cups of the coffee from the cafeteria and that was about it. Sleep was the furthest thing from his mind. Of course, he was worried. Who wouldn’t be in this situation? But to call that love was ludicrous.
“You’re making too much of this, Camila,” he eventually said.
“Am I?”
“Let’s drop the subject, shall we? We have to figure out a way to stop my mother. She was here earlier and Kristen…” he shook his head. “She flat-lined.”
Camila’s voice raised a notch, “What?” She grabbed Ethan’s arm and pulled him from the room.
“What are you doing?” he asked as he reluctantly followed her.
“Don’t you know that coma patients can still hear things?” she replied. “Anyway, tell me what happened.”
“I badly needed a shower, that’s why I left.” He ran his hand across his face. “I got back as they were resuscitating her.”
“Oh, God,” Camila breathed, placing her hand on her chest.
“She was just lying there and the machine was giving off that awful sound.”
Camila’s forehead wrinkled as she bit her bottom lip. She closed her eyes and grimaced as though in pain. Ethan knew what she must have been feeling. The terror that she could have lost her friend must be unbearable. He felt the same.
“What can we do?” Her voice cracked.
“I don’t know, I feel so helpless.”
Chapter 12
Helen slammed the phone into its cradle. That damn girl was still alive. When she left the hospital, she was certain that was the last of Kristen she’d see. Now, her contact at the hospital had told her that the doctors saved her.
“You’re a tough one, Kristen,” she muttered. “Let’s see you get out of this.”
Smoothing her hair, she took a deep breath and picked up the receiver once more. After placing at her ear, she dialed and waited.
“Lawyer Brown at your service,” a man said after five rings.
“What took you so long to answer your phone?” she scolded.
“I do have other clients you know, Helen.”
Ignoring his pithiness, she continued, “I need you to have the next hearing date moved up.”
“Isn’t that a little inconsiderate, seeing that the young lady…” Mr. Brown began but was rudely cut short by Helen’s terse tone.
“That young lady you speak of is in a vegetative state in the hospital and won’t be of use to anyone!”
“In a vegetative state?” his voice reflected his confusion.
“She met with an accident a couple of days ago and is in a coma. Now, do as I tell you. Have the date moved up and do it now.”
There was a few seconds silence on the other end of the line before Mr. Brown replied. “She may wake up…”
“What am I paying you for? Do it without question. When did you start growing a conscience? I’ve seen you do some terrible things to people…” she snapped.
“But never a comatose patient. This is not right.”
“I’ll triple your fee. I just need you to do as I ask.”
Mr. Brown seemed uncertain. “Well…”
“I’ll throw in a gift valued at twenty-five thousand.”
“What gift?”
“A Hermes Dressage Limited Edition.”
“Okay, I’ll see what I can do.”
With that, the conversation ended. Helen paced her suite, trying to think of another way to win this case with Kristen. She also worried about her son. What if Kristen woke up and married Ethan? She could not afford for this woman to marry another of her sons.
Andrew was the most important thing to her and Kristen took him away. Now she has sunk her clutches into Ethan and the stupid fool is so smitten he can’t see her for what she really is.
If Harold would just grow a backbone and help her stand up to Kristen, they could make a formidable team. It was time to speak with him about the matter once more. She exited her room and went in search of her husband. He was not in the living room, so she ventured to his study.
Helen paused just outside the door as her husband spoke with someone on the phone. “I told you to stay in New York. Why have you returned?” his voice was stern. “Now listen. You return to New York at once. What do you mean you’re not going back? Do you know how much trouble this is going to cause?”
Helen retreated, muttering under her breath, “He doesn’t even know when to set aside business.”
She went back to the living room to wait until Harold finished his conversation. However, as the words from his telephone talk floated through the door to her, something bothered her. She didn’t know what it was, but the tone of his voice wasn’t businesslike. It was as though he was talking to someone much more familiar than a business associate. Why would he be reprimanding someone for leaving New York and what kind of trouble would they cause? Something wasn’t right.
As she mulled over those things, Harold appeared, looking quite frazzled.
“What’s the matter? You look upset,” she remarked.
After walking to the house bar, he poured himself a scotch and took a gulp. “Nothing, just business as usual.”
“Who was that on the phone?” she queried.
“Just a business acquaintance.”
“Are you in some sort of legal trouble?”
His eyes shot to hers. “No, why?”
“Nothing. I just thought you might be in some kind of trouble.”
Harold finished his scotch and poured another. Helen observed how his hand shook as he brought the glass to his mouth. She’d never seen him this disturbed over business. He was always in control. He set the glass down on the surface of the bar and strode to his chair. His jaw remained tight and his lips drawn in a tight line. Something was definitely wrong, but Helen had an immediate need.
Pushing aside her suspicions about her husband, she again broached the subject of Kristen. “Harold, will you come to the hearing with me the next time? I need your support.”
“I told you I will have nothing to do with this,” he replied in a curt manner.
“Are you also taken with this hussy?”
Harold blinked a few times. “Helen, are you out of your mind?”
“Then you come with me to the courthouse when I ask you to. I’m not taking no for an answer. Believe, me Harold, you don’t want to say no to me again.”
Harold pursed his, remaining silent. Her message was clear. He knew wha
t she was capable of, therefore he would comply with her wishes.
With threatening her husband settled, Helen spent the next few days coming up with a plan ‘B’ in the event that her current plan failed. If by some miracle Kristen regained consciousness, she and Ethan would be married and take Hailey. Helen could not let that happen.
Waiting for a response from Lawyer Brown was driving her up the wall. Therefore, she began to prepare in case the date could not be changed or if Kristen awoke.
Gripping the phone receiver, Helen hesitated before making the next call. Doubt that she was doing the right thing gnawed at her, but the thought of Kristen and Ethan together brought such anger that her doubts quickly disappeared. She dialed.
Someone picked up after two rings. “Hello.”
“John, it’s Helen. How have you been?”
“Miss Helen, what can I do for you?”
“I need you to look into someone for me,” she replied softly into the phone.
“Your husband?”
“No, my son Ethan.”
“Isn’t that the Navy Seal?’ John asked.
She swallowed. “Yes.”
“I can’t touch him,” John informed her. “His records would be sealed.”
“Then unseal them. Find something… anything.”
“I’m sorry, Miss Helen…”
Her voice rose to a high pitch, “I don’t need your apology. Do something. Follow him if you have to.”
“Miss Helen, he’s your son.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” she lowered her tone, slumping her shoulders. “I need something that will make the judge prevent him from marrying that woman.”
“What woman?” John asked.
“The one I had you investigate a while back,” she said. “She’s clean so there’s nothing on her I can use.”
“Is there anything else I can do for you, Miss Helen? I have to go now.”
“No,” was her clipped reply before she hung up.
Useless… all of them. Everyone around her was useless, including her husband and lawyer. Now even her trusted PI proved unreliable.
Chapter 13
A month went by quickly, in which time Ethan started therapy with the psychiatrist Kristen recommended. Fortunately, the appointments were right there at the hospital. All he had to do was slip away from Kristen’s room for an hour, two days a week.
The Psychiatrist, Dr. Sheila Marsden, believed he was suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, just as Kristen had thought. At first, he kept the appointment because of the promise he made, but after the third, he began to trust the doctor. He began opening up about some of the things he’d experienced on his Missions, leaving out the classified details. Talking about them helped and he found he was not as stressed as before.
Other than leaving Kristen for his appointments, he never strayed far from the ICU. He and Camila took turns staying with Kristen, Camila took the day shift to give Ethan time to get a shower and a few hours nap each day and he’d return to stay with her during the night. A few times when he was free, Mark stopped by.
On this day, Ethan had gone to get some fresh air. Camila was with Kristen and Mark Rickards was pacing the ICU hallway. One hand gripped his briefcase while the other was tucked deeply into his front pants pocket. The man strode back and forth, his eyes cast to the floor.
When Ethan returned from his walk, he observed the agitated look on the lawyer’s face and knew something was wrong. His heart gave a jolt and he hastened his steps, thinking that Kristen had a relapse.
As he approached, Mark looked up and rushed to meet him. “There you are!”
“What’s wrong? Is Kristen all right?” he made to pass the lawyer, but Mark stepped in his way.
“She’s fine. Camila is with her,” Mark replied. “Sidebar.”
They walked a few paces away from the room door down to a waiting area. The place was scant of people and Mark indicated he sit on one of the empty chairs. Placing his briefcase on the floor, Mark perched on one of the seats.
“What’s going on?” Ethan queried, keeping his eyes down the hall.
“I just got word from the courthouse.” He fiddled with his tie. “The date for Kristen’s assessment has been moved up a month.”
Ethan jumped to his feet. “How in the world did that happen?”
The lawyer stood and started pacing while fingering his chin. Ethan had a feeling that Mark knew something he wasn’t saying. What if Kristen didn’t wake up before the hearing date? Would the judge rule on Helen’s behalf or would he grant another date?
“Why aren’t you saying anything?” he asked the lawyer.
“I think your mother is behind this.”
That would explain it, Ethan thought. Helen had quite the influence across the city. She could get whatever she needed done without much effort. He was surprised she didn’t just bribe the judge to make an immediate ruling.
A plan needed to be formulated in order to stop his mother, but Ethan was clueless as to what he could do. The only way he could think of to prevent the judge from taking Hailey was to marry Kristen at once. Just a little roadblock to that was that Kristen was in a coma.
His skin flushed and his ears burned. The heat in his chest told him that the anger towards his mother was building. “Is there any way to stop her?”
Mark took a moment to respond. “I’ve been thinking about it, but nothing has surfaced so far.”
“Can I file for custody?”
“On what grounds?”
“I’m Kristen’s fiancé.”
Mark chewed his bottom lip and stared into space for a moment. “It’s a slim chance, but that could be the delay we need. I’m not saying you will succeed, I’m just saying that it could delay the proceedings until we form a better plan.”
“Then do it.”
Picking up his briefcase, Mark nodded and strode down the hall. Ethan followed close behind. Mark kept going as passed the door to Kristen’s room, while Ethan paused outside to calm himself.
When he pushed the door open a minute later, Camila had her head down as though resting. He was about to go back out when she raised her head and beckoned him inside.
“I’ve got to run. I’ll be back first thing in the morning,” she told him.
“Yes, you go and take care of yourself. Get some sleep.”
“See you tomorrow.”
As Camila left the room. Ethan took the chair. Without thinking about it, he took Kristen’s hand and brought it to his lips. He kissed the back of it, then rubbed the palm against his cheek.
“I don’t know if you can hear me, but I need you to wake up.”
Kristen smiled as she listened to the familiar voice. It seemed to be coming from a distance, but she liked that he was speaking gently to her. His smooth rich voice washed warmly over her. She always liked the sound of it.
“Come back to me,” he said.
She giggled to herself. I hadn’t gone anywhere, you idiot. I want to tell you so much. When I got the call about Hailey, I was about to tell you what Andrew did.
“You’ve got to wake up, Kristen. I need you… we need you.”
Ethan had a thickness in his voice that surprised Kristen. She tried to open her eyes but everything was black. Trying to get up from the bed was futile as she found she was leaden. She couldn’t move.
“What’s happened to me?” she screamed. “Ethan… Ethan?”
He didn’t seem to hear her as he kept talking. Though she could clearly hear his words, his voice was getting further and further away.
“Ethan, don’t go!” she shrieked. “I want to tell you what Andrew did. Why do I feel so weird?”
The voice kept talking but it now seemed far away. The room where she lay was black. She could see nothing. Where was she? Why was Ethan unable to hear her? She needed to tell him what happened the night they made love. She needed him to know what Andrew did and why. She needed to tell him everything.
“Ethan,” her voi
ce was fading as well. “I’m so… sleepy. Need to… tell you… so sleepy… what happ… zzzz.”
A few minutes ago…
“Kristen, you have to wake up. I need you… we need you.”
Ethan’s voice was thick as a lump rose to his throat. He was never an emotional man, but today his heart was swollen and he found it difficult to speak. He swallowed hard and gripped her hand tightly, wanting her to feel his presence.
It was at that time he noticed the beeps from the machine were going more rapidly than normal. At a glance, he saw the numbers increasing and the heart line moving up and down erratically.
“Kristen! What’s happening?” he breathed. “Nurse… Nurse!” he shouted.
Within minutes, Emily was inside checking her patient’s pulse.
“Step aside, please,” she said. “The doctor is on his way.”
Not two minutes later, the doctor rushed in and checked Kristen’s eyes, listened to her heart, and checked her pulse. The doctor spoke with the nurse who filled a syringe with medicine and emptied it into the saline bag. She adjusted the drip and soon the beeping sound returned to normal.
“What’s happening?” Ethan demanded.
“Her heart rate and blood pressure increased, but not too much. She is stabilizing.”
“Thank God.”
“This might be a good sign,” the doctor said. “She may have been responding to some stimuli.”
“I was talking to her,” Ethan said.
“Good,” said the doctor. “She may have been responding to your voice. This is the first time her heart rate increased since being here.”
“Are you sure this is a good sign?”
“The last time when someone else came and spoke with her, was the opposite result. This could mean she is becoming aware. Next time you talk to her, we want to be here to monitor her responses.”
Ethan wasn’t sure that Kristen was responding positively to him. They were enemies who called a truce just before her accident. She’d made it clear that she was angry with him for whatever happened between them, something he could not truly remember. What if her response was anger towards him? He didn’t want to risk upsetting her again.